Polishing machine fixture



Sept. 19, 1939. H. ANDERSON I POLISHING MACHINE FIXTURE Filed April 23, 1958 LH @QAM Patented sept. 19, 1939 2,17 3,245

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POLISHING MACHINE FIXTURE Hugh Anderson, Detroit, Mich., assigner, by

mesnc assignments, to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detreit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 23, 1938, Serial No. 203,974

4 Claims. (Cl. 51-216) This invention relates to the polishing art, parpoint by a bearing plate I5 and these plates may ticularly the polishing of objects such as impact be secured to the llanges as by Welding. bars for bumper structures for automotive ve- The table structure comprises a base plate hicles. In polishing machines for this Work, the I6 having retainer blocks l'l at its. ends and se- 5 bumper bars to be polished are supported on a cured against the under side of the plate in belt or other suitable conveyor to be carried alignment with the bearing plates I3 and I4, through the polishing fields, the bars being each retainer block having elongated recesses mounted to be carried longitudinally in engageor pockets I8 for bearing elements such as balls ment with the polishing Wheels. Sometimes the I9, the balls engaging the respective bearlng lf) bumper impact bars have slight twists or edge plates I3 and I4. At the center of the table l0 Warp 01 Other COIldtOll WhCh may prevent their plate I6 and secured against the under side thereproper and accurate application to the polishing of is a retainer plate 20 having the retainer re- Wheels for accurate and uniform polishing therecess 2| for a bearing element such as a ball 22, f unless the bars may readily adjust and align the ball engaging the intermediate bearing plate l themselves for proper application to the polisnl5 en the base Il, the table structure being 15 ing Wheels throughout their extent. mounted on the base II by the bearing elements.

The Object Of the invention iS t0 provide im- On the bearing plate I5 for the intermediate proved Sllppert llhtS 0r XtllreS Which may he or center bearing ball 22 are retainer bars 23 mounted Orl the COIIVeyOr at regular intervals extending transversely relative to the base II zo to be spanned by the bars to be polished and for limiting the longitudinal movement or the zo which ixtures or supports permit the bars to tame on the base, mOVe readily laterally S0 that any slight twist, Mounted on the bearing plates I3 and I4 along edge Warp, or other irregularity may be DI'ODerly the outer ends thereof are guard members 24 applied t0 the pOllShrlg WheelS- T0 this end, the which may be lengths of channel bar with their fixtures or supports comprise each a base strucflanges extending inwardly, the lower gauges 25 ture adapted to be secured to a conveyor and a being secured by Welding to the bearing plates table structure on which the ends of bars rest, 3 and |4, and the upper anges 25 overhanglng Wlth the table Structure mounted 0n the base the ends of the table plate le se es te heid the structure by means of roller elements so that the table to the base M The table Structure may table structure may readily shift laterally to folhowever be shifted' leadlly l'temlly and alsc; 30 low the movement of the bars during their apturned on the base, the rotating or turning phcatlolt tle pflstmg I'Vhefels' t. movement being limited as by means of stop hAn e ma? dem 9 lmgn (121. Inl/.en lon 1s pins 26 extending upwardly from the projecting s Own on .e rawmg m W.1C rawmg' ends of the bearing plates I3 and I4 to be in the Figure 1 1s a slde elevation of a conveyor 35 path of the ends of the table plate I6. structure with one of my improved supporting Th t b1 1 t s t d k 2.' units or fixtures thereon and showing the xe. a' e p a e suppor s an upper ec ture engaged by bars to be polished; above its front or advanclng end. This deck may Figure 2 is a plan View of the fixture; and be a plate of metal having its front port1on bent 40 Figure 3 is a Section on plane nl n Fg down to form a supporting leg 28, and its rear ure 1 end supported on a cross bar 29 on the table On the drawing, lll represents more or leSS base, the bar 29 being secured to the table base diagrammatically a belt or other conveyor travand the deck 21 bemg Secllled to the bar and ellng ln the direction of the arrow' on this to the base so as to form a rigid part of the table Conveyor are mounted the Supporting units or Structure. 'The deck is Shown provided xtures ai; properly spaced intervals to be a number of transversely extending slots 3l) spanned by the objects to be polished, as for Wheh are arCU-ate fOr receiving the ends Of example, automobile bumper impact bars B. As bumper bare Which are tlaIlSVerSely Curved. shown, each unit comprises a base structure AbOVe the table baSe l5 alOrlg the rear 01 which may be in the form of a length of chantrailing end thereof is a lower deck 3l which 50 nel bar II with its anges extending upwardly, may be in the form of a plate secured to cross the bar being secured to the conveyor along its bars 32 Which are mounted on the table base I6 transverse median line as by bolts I2. The and are secured thereto. Secured to extend flanges are spanned at their ends by bearing along the side edges of the deck 3l are guard plates I3 and I4 respectively and at a middle rails 33 Whose upper edges may be in the plane 55 of the upper face of the higher deck 21, as shown on Figure 1.

The units are mounted on the conveyor at spaced intervals depending upon the length of the bars to be polished. 'I'he lower decks 3| of the tables of the units support the advancing ends of the bars while the higher decks 2T support the trailing ends of the bars, these trailing ends extending into the notches 30 so that the bars are coupled to the units to travel therewith through the fields of polishing rolls 34. The difference in height of the lower and upper decks is substantially the distance that the trailing ends of the bars extend through the coupling slots'S so that the polishing pressure may be more uniform throughout the extent of the bars. The anti-friction support of the table structure on the base I l of the unit will permit the table structure to readily follow displacement of the bars while subjected to the polishing rolls so that any portions of the bars in the form of slight twists or warp or other irregularities may be properly presented to the polishing rolls for eflicient and uniform polishing of the bars. The stop pins 2S are located so as not to interfere with the movements of the table structures during polishing operations but the pins will prevent accidental displacement of the table structures from their supporting bases il. lIhe center bearing ball 22 will permit ready oscillation of the table structure to follow the movements of the supported bars during the polishing operation.

I have shown a practical and eicient embodiment of my invention but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described as changes and modications may be made which will still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

l. The combination with the conveyor of a polishing machine, of polishing fixtures applied to the conveyor to vbe spanned by bars to be polished, each fixture comprising a base structure secured to the conveyor, a table structure for supporting the ends of the bars to be polished, roller elements supporting said table structure on the base structure for lateral and oscillatory movement of the table structure on the base structure to enable said table structure to readily follow the movement of the bars during polishing thereof, and restraining means engageable by said roller element for limiting such lateral and oscillatory movement.

2. The combination with the conveyor of a polishing machine, of polishing xtures applied to the conveyor to be spanned by bars to be polished, each fixture comprising a base structure secured to the conveyor, a table structure for supporting the ends of the bars to be polished, rolling bearing elements between said structures arranged to support said table structure for lat- ='eral and oscillatory movement on the base structure to follow the movement of the bars during polishing thereof, and restraining recesses in one of said structures for said roller element for limiting such lateral and oscillatory movement.

3. The combination with the conveyor of a polishing machine, of polishing fixtures applied to the conveyor to be spanned by bars to be polished, each fixture comprising a base structure secured to the conveyor and a table structure for supporting the ends of the bars to be polished, a bearing ball interposed between said structures intermediate the ends thereof, guide recesses in said structures for said bearing ball arranged to cooperate with said ball to prevent longitudinal movement of the table structure on the base structure but to permit lateral and oscillatory movements to enable the table structure to readily follow the movement of the bars during polishing thereof, and roller bearing elements between the ends of said structures for support thereof during oscillatory or lateral movement of the table structure.

4. The combination with the conveyor of a polishing machine, of polishing fixtures applied to the conveyorto be spanned by bars to be polished, each fixture comprising a base structure secured to the conveyor and a table structure for supporting the ends of the bars to be polished, a bearing between said structures intermediate the ends thereof arranged to restrain the table structure against longitudinal movement on the base structure but to permit lateral and oscillatory movement of the table structure on the base structure, and roller bearing element between the ends of said structures for guiding the lateral and oscillatory movement of the table structure, said lateral and oscillatory movement of the table structure enabling it to readily follow the movement of the bars during polishing thereof.

HUGH ANDERSON, 

